Conservative Rabiabrat never seems to run out of criticism of things that she
regards as too modern. In her capacity as president of the Centre for the
Promotion of Happy and Loving Families she has expressed her views on a wide
range of social issues. Recall her nitpicking about westernised singer Tata
Young, and you will get the idea.
But this time around she believes she has a point. Juraluck's book featuring
personal accounts of the sexual lives of her friends, a la "Sex and the City"
is available at 7-Eleven outlets within reach of any child who may drop by for
candy.
On hearing of Rabiabrat's criticism, I thought it would be fair to check first
before jumping to any conclusions. I couldn't find "Sexual Connotation" in the
few branches that I checked, but to my astonishment I found many other books
that I don't want to see on my little girl's reading list.
Placed on shelves with signs like "hot sale" and 'best sellers" were
"Hysteria", "Hua Jai Mai Mee Por" ("Insatiable Heart"), "Gay Diary", "Ruang Lao
Sao Sidelines" ("Call Girls' Stories"), "Perd Tai Karee" ("Unmasking a Whore"),
"X-Japan: Bantuek Ruang Rak" ("X-Japan: Record of Love"), and "Sakod Roi Chu"
"(Spying on Lovers").
Such titles are eye-catching and clearly suggest that the content is more or
less sexual. Worse, they are out on display, unlike cigarette packets that are
hidden away from young eyes.
Cultural Watchdog Centre's chief Ladda Thangsupachai hit at the heart of the
problem when she tried to ban the sale of Juraluck's book at the
convenience-store chain. "I don't think the photographs are too explicit, but a
book that talks about sexual activities in detail, like how to perform oral sex
properly and how to grade the size of men's private parts, should not be sold
at 7-Elevens."
It was not the first time that the retail chain had faced such criticism. Last
year the Cultural Watchdog Centre also urged the 7-Eleven chain to remove
adult-oriented items from their catalogues and men's magazines from the stores.
These stores are on every street corner, making their products easily
accessible to children.
Rabiabrat targeted publishers too, saying they should take responsibility for
their books' content. "A publisher should not allow writers to go overboard,
such as posing nude or in a sexually explicit pose."
Although the publisher of "Sexual Connotation" has printed a warning on the
back cover that the book is not recommended for those under 18, Rabiabrat
doesn't buy it. Instead she feels the warning stimulates the curiosity of young
readers. "They may feel more tempted to grab it from the bookshelf," she said.
While Rabiabrat singled out the publishers, Ladda pointed out the
responsibility of a retail chain that children walk into all the time for candy
and snacks.
But as the rights advocates see it, writers must have freedom of expression. In
the case of Juraluck, the book is just a like the famous "Sex and the City"
series. It aims to entertain readers with light-hearted stories that Juraluck
compiled from her friends' first-hand experiences.
"Readers may find some tips useful in their lives," the actress has said.
At least the author's expectation was not far-fetched. A reader's post on
pantip.com admits that she found Juraluck's book useful. "I thank her for
sharing those stories, and I gained something from the book, even though not
everything in it is applicable to my life. It's not too obscene, and it's an
okay read."
One can't deny that we live in a hypocritical society where sex is a taboo
subject. Few people talk frankly about their sex (or sexually deprived) lives.
That very fact means that books about sex are guaranteed to sell. People are
curious and, sad to say, the younger you are the more curious you will be about
sex.
So you can't blame the youngsters for being tempted to read such books when the
"more knowledgeable" grown-ups devour them.
The Cultural Watchdog Centre's chief is so right when she asks every party to
join in protecting youngsters from premature sexual exposure through the media.
The big question is how. At the same time, no one should rule out the
importance of sex education in a child's development.
As parents, we can start by accompanying our little ones to 7-Eleven and making
sure they don't buy any unsuitable books to bring home.
